Muller, 23, is the organization’s best pitching prospect yet to debut in the majors. It’s possible, if not likely, he works his way into the bigs next season. Muller’s place on the 40-man roster only helps those odds.

Before spending the shortened season at the alternate training site in Gwinnett, Muller appeared in only two spring training games with the big-league team. He was erratic: Muller walked three, struck out three, hit two batters and threw a wild pitch while recording three outs. Still, it was easy to see Muller’s immense potential.

The Texas native is a physically imposing figure on the mound (he’s listed at 6-foot-7, 250 pounds) and throws in the mid-to-upper 90s. He struck out 120 hitters, walked 68 and held opponents to a .208 average in 111-2/3 innings in Double-A during the 2019 season. Muller almost certainly will open next season at Triple-A.

Minor leaguers eligible for the Rule 5 draft must be added to their teams’ rosters ahead of the Nov. 20 deadline. The Braves’ 40-man roster stands at 37.